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View on Hamburg hochbahn train and Landugsbrücke clock tower from above. Photo by Alexander Bagno-

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Nuremberg Christmas market

A Christmas market called Christkindlesmarkt is hosted every year in Nuremberg, Germany. The Hauptmarkt, the heart of Nuremberg’s old town, as well as surrounding squares and streets, host the event throughout Advent.

The Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany and one of the most well-known worldwide, drawing around two million visitors annually. Unless December 24 is a Sunday, the Christmas market always starts on the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent and ends on that day.

The Nuremberg Hauptmarkt served as the Christkindlesmarkt’s initial location. However, between 1898 and 1933, it was moved to several locations, such the Fleischbrücke or the island Schütt. The market moved back to its former location in front of the Frauenkirche church in 1933.

These are the top 10 outstanding facts about Nuremberg Christmas market;

1.Nuremberg Christmas market is a traditional area

What makes Nuremberg the most renowned Christmas market in Germany. She said to me, “Because it’s so old and so conventional. The Nuremberg Main Market Square’s Christmas market is at least that ancient, if not older, as it was first referenced in a record from 1628.”

And the inhabitants of Nuremberg are proud of that. Even the 180 stalls at the market are still constructed of local spruce, as are the majority of the goods offered there. Even more than 30 of the stalls are older than 1890.

2.In the Christmas market in Nuremberg, you may get sweet gingerbread

View on Hamburg hochbahn train and Landugsbrücke clock tower from above. Photo by Alexander Bagno-

In the 13th century, Franconia is where gingerbread, or Lebkuchen as it is known in German, was created. Nuremberg became the most well-known exporter of what is now referred to as Nürnberger Lebkuchen. The adorned cookies we see now were not always a custom; they are a much more recent addition.

Instead, authentic Nürnberger Lebkuchen was offered in elaborately adorned tins that were in and of themselves valuable collectibles. Go to the Lebkuchen-Schmidt booth at the Christkindlesmarkt or the main store in the Main Market Square at Plobenhof if you’d like a tin of chocolate-covered Nürnberger Lebkuchen or the adorned cookies swinging from red ribbon.

3.Fill up on the authentic Nuremberg grilled sausages

The sausages in Nuremberg are taken seriously. In 1497, the dimensions and components of the renowned marjoram-seasoned pork sausages were recorded. Only sausages made within the city borders, precisely 23 grams in weight, and around the thickness of your little finger can be referred to as “Original Nurembergers.” In restaurants, you can order them with 6, 8, 10, or 12 pieces on a pewter plate. The hot off the grill version with three on a bun and plenty of mustard is still my favourite.

4.For its GERSTACKER Blueberry Glühwein, Nuremberg is well-known

We even make gluhwein at home because it is such a favourite cold-weather beverage. However, I’ve discovered a new favourite, and the creator, GERSTACKER, has never shared the recipe. The GERSTACKER family company has been selling their blueberry Glühwein at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt for more than 35 years and stands by it. It is a delectable variant that is worth searching out the GERSTACKER booth for specifically.

5.Gourgeous market for Sister Cities

View on Hamburg hochbahn train and Landugsbrücke clock tower from above. Photo by Alexander Bagno-

 I’ve travelled to Verona, Italy, several times where a branch of the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is held every year. What I didn’t realize, though, is that Nuremberg hosts over 20 sister cities at Rathausplatz, where establishments from Atlanta to Sri Lanka set up shop with their own regional wares.

You can find items like matryoshka from Ukraine, salami and cheese from Italy, lavender honey from Provence, Hot Toddy from Scotland, and more. The Austria stand’s line for Glühwein is significantly shorter than any other location of the Nuremberg Christmas markets we visited, and it is unquestionably much less crowded than any other region.

6.The Nuremberg Christmas market sells the prune men

Since many years ago, Zwetschgenmännle, or Prune Men, have been offered for sale at the Nuremberg Christmas market. A wire drawer in Nuremberg is credited with creating The Prune Men in the 18th century. He only had wire and the plums that grew on the tree in front of his house when he wanted to give his children the ideal present. Though they consumed the prunes from the figurines, he cleverly made Prune Men for them. Prune Men today come in all shapes and sizes, from the conventional chimney sweeps to Harley-wielding bad-asses. Whichever you select, they make wonderful keepsakes that are exclusive to Nuremberg (but shouldn’t be eaten).

7.The Christkind emblem of Nuremberg

For many years, the Nuremberg Christmas market has been represented by the Christkind. Every two years, a blonde girl between the ages of 16 and 19 is chosen, and she opens the Christkindlesmarkt by giving a prologue from the balcony of the Church of Our Lady while donning a gold crown and a white gown that sparkles with gold threads.

She makes appearances at the Christkindlesmarkt every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 3 p.m. Since we went on a weekend, we were unable to meet her, but you can ascend to the balcony of the Church of Our Lady to see a brief exhibition about Christian tradition.

8.Take a tour of the Christkindlesmarkt by postal coach

View on Hamburg hochbahn train and Landugsbrücke clock tower from above. Photo by Alexander Bagno-

You can see the brilliant yellow mail coaches in the distance almost before you hear the clippity-clop of the Clydesdales’ hooves on the cobblestones. Visitors can enjoy a delightful trip on the postal coaches as they travel through the cobblestone lanes of the old town near the Christkindlesmarkt.

9.Explore the area surrounding Nuremberg

Beyond visiting the Christmas markets, Nuremberg offers a wealth of other activities. We enjoyed traveling back in time at the Nuremberg Toy Museum, one of more than 30 museums in Nuremberg. To mention a few activities, we also went for a stroll up to the Nuremberg Imperial Castle and stopped at the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof brewery for a litre of black beer.

10.You get to shop until you drop at the Nuremberg Christmas market

View on Hamburg hochbahn train and Landugsbrücke clock tower from above. Photo by Alexander Bagno-

There is undoubtedly a special gift for each person on your Christmas list among the 180 stalls at the Christkindlesmarket, even more options at the Sister Cities Market, and smaller Christmas markets snaking through Nuremberg’s ancient old town.

Shopping is also much more enjoyable when done among the tens of thousands of glittering lights, the aroma of Nuremberg sausages, and the strains of Christmas music. Look for hand-made pyramids, hand-painted Christmas ornaments, colourful German nutcrackers, and porcelain Nativity sets.